Families, business and others require ways to store a wide range of personal property articles at their residences, workplaces and other storage locations when the articles are not in use. Virtually an unlimited range of personal property articles require such storage. Representative types of articles which require storage can include, for example, ladders, lawn mowers, spreaders, tools, automobile detachable seats, bicycles and goods stored in boxes, crates or totes.
Personal property articles can be stored in many different locations within a residence, workplace or other storage location. Representative locations can include garages, car ports, basements, warehouses, sheds as well as other locations. These locations typically include a floor and a ceiling or roof supported by joists, trusses or like supports. The ceiling or roof supports are typically supported by vertical supports which may further support one or more walls.
Typically, the available space for storage of articles in a residence or workplace is limited and there is a need to optimize such space. One way to optimize storage space is to take advantage of the available volumetric space in the storage location by storing articles on the floor and at positions above the floor.
Many attempts to store articles at elevated positions are known. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,781 (Dahl) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,702 (Campbell). Traditional block-and-tackle devices have also been utilized. While such devices may be satisfactory for their intended purposes, there are disadvantages associated with such devices.
For example, these types of storage systems may require complex electrical and mechanical components which are costly and subject to failure. Such electrical and mechanical components may require complex mounting to the ceiling or ceiling joists and may be difficult and costly to install.
Block and tackle lift devices secured to a ceiling or ceiling support can be difficult for some persons to operate because such persons may have difficulty pulling the line. Block and tackle lift devices can fail if the line or lines are not tied off or secured properly. The result of any such failure is that the articles will crash down potentially damaging the stored articles or damaging automobiles or other valuable things onto which the articles may fall.
It would represent a significant improvement in the art to provide apparatus and methods for elevated, secure storage of articles thereby optimizing storage space, which can be used to reliably store a wide range of articles and things and which is very simple and economical in its manufacture and use.